1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a numerical data processing apparatus for transferring numerical data used on the same base as money and a gift certificate or the like, typically, for example, digital money data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The above-mentioned numerical data is digital data. Such numerical data is convenient as compared with paper money and coins in the points that the numerical data is able to be transferred via a communication network and the like, and the numerical data is able to be stored in a small IC card. For this reason, recently, there are proposed various types of apparatus for utilizing the above-mentioned digital money data and the like as money and a gift certificate or the like. As one of those types of apparatus, there is known a numerical data processing apparatus for performing a transfer of digital money data and the like.
As a form of such a numerical data processing apparatus, there are proposed a portable type of one referred to as a so-called digital wallet, and forms of a terminal of a POS system and a cash register or the like. However, in any of types of those forms, they are one in which an act of transfer of money is simply replaced by a digital basis.
On the other hand, as an actual action of transfer of money in the practical transactions of money, in some cases, there is often conducted a complex transfer action of money such as an action in which a payment is performed by a plurality of persons splitting the cost, and an action in which a payment is performed in combination of a gift certificate and money. Further, in some cases, there is often conducted a complex transfer action of money such as an action in which a payment for a store is performed and in addition payments for tips for salesclerks and indirect taxes to be paid for a government are performed.
For this reason, according to the conventional type of numerical data processing apparatus, it is difficult to regenerate the an actual action of transfer of money in the practical transactions of money. Further, in the event that digital money data and the like associated with payments for stores and digital money data and the like associated with payments for tips are stored in a single IC card together, there is a need to discriminate the digital money data and the like. The discrimination- process is troublesome.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a numerical data processing apparatus capable of regenerating a complex transfer action of money and the like as mentioned above.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a first numerical data processing apparatus in which numerical data transmitted from an exterior is stored in a storage medium, said numerical data standing for a numerical value to be converted into an amount of money and having an equivalent value to a value of currency of the amount of money corresponding, said numerical data processing apparatus comprising:
a control unit for providing such a control that a first storage medium stores, of the numerical data transmitted from an exterior, numerical data associated with an amount of money of transactions, and a second storage medium stores numerical data associated with an accompanying amount of money involved in the transactions.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a method of numerical data processing in which numerical data transmitted from an exterior is stored in a storage medium, said numerical data standing for a numerical value to be converted into an amount of money and having an equivalent value to a value of currency of the amount of money corresponding, said method comprising:
a first processing step wherein a first storage medium stores, of the numerical data transmitted from an exterior, numerical data associated with an amount of money of transactions; and
a second processing step wherein a second storage medium stores numerical data associated with an accompanying amount of money involved in the transactions.
Here, the xe2x80x9caccompanying amount of moneyxe2x80x9d means an amount of money corresponds to a tip, an indirect tax and the like.
According to the first numerical data processing apparatus of the present invention and the method of numerical data processing of the present invention, the numerical data associated with sums of transactions and the numerical data associated with the accompanying amount of money are separately stored in the first and second storage media, respectively. Thus, there is no need to perform a distribution process after, and therefore it is possible for a store to implement a comfortable digital money transactions.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a second numerical data processing apparatus comprising:
at least three loading apertures onto each of which a storage medium is loaded, said storage medium storing numerical data standing for a numerical value to be converted into an amount of money and having an equivalent value to a value of currency of the amount of money corresponding;
a transfer path network connected to all of said at least three loading apertures for transferring the numerical data among the storage media loaded onto said at least three loading apertures; and
a transfer control unit for providing such a control that a transfer source and a transfer destination of a data transfer by said transfer path network are identified, an amount of money is obtained in accordance with an operation, and numerical data of the obtained amount of money corresponding is transferred from the transfer source to the transfer destination.
Here, meaning of xe2x80x9ca transfer source and a transfer destination of a data transfer are identifiedxe2x80x9d can be interpreted such that the loading apertures are previously set up as the transfer source or the transfer destination and the set up contents are recognized, or the transfer source and the transfer destination are designated by a handler and the like, or alternatively the storage media are previously set up as the transfer source or the transfer destination and it is recognized which one the storage media loaded onto the loading apertures are set up to.
According to the second numerical data processing apparatus of the present invention, the transfer path network for transferring the numerical data is connected to all of at least three loading apertures, and the data transfer is controlled by the transfer control unit. This feature makes it possible for a user of the numerical data processing apparatus to regenerate a complex transfer action of money and the like in the practical transactions of money.
In the second numerical data processing apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that said transfer control unit calculates a plurality of sums and transfers numerical data of each sum corresponding, in which as basic information for calculating the plurality of sums, a total sum for the plurality of sums and mutual ratios of the plurality of sums therebetween are generated in accordance with an operation.
In the second numerical data processing apparatus according to the present invention, it is also preferable that said transfer control unit calculates a plurality of sums and transfers numerical data of each sum corresponding, in which as basic information for calculating the plurality of sums, one of the plurality of sums and respective ratios of the plurality of sums to the one sum are generated in accordance with an operation.
According to the numerical data processing apparatus having those preferred structure, an individual payment amount by splitting expenses, the amount of tax based on a predetermined tax rate and a tip based on a predetermined ratio are automatically calculated. Thus, it is possible to implement a commercial transaction making the best use of digital money data and the like.
In the numerical data processing apparatus having those preferred structure, it is preferable that said numerical data processing apparatus further comprises a ratio storage unit for storing the ratios, and said transfer control unit reads the ratios from said ratio storage unit in accordance with an operation.
In payments of splitting expenses and tax, specific ratios are often used. Thus such specific ratios are stored in the ratio storage unit beforehand. This feature makes it possible to implement more simple commercial transactions. Incidentally, it is either acceptable that the ratio storage unit is of a read only type or a rewritable type.
In the second numerical data processing apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that said storage medium stores a plurality of sorts of numerical data having mutually different meanings, and said transfer control unit controls a data transfer for each of said plurality of sorts of numerical data.
Recently, a storage medium represented by an IC card permits to store a plurality of sorts of numerical data having mutually different meanings. According to the numerical data processing apparatus having those preferred structure, the transfer control unit controls a data transfer for each of said plurality of sorts of numerical data. Thus, it is possible to regenerate a payment form such as a payment, for example, of a gift certificate and moneys in their combination.
In the second numerical data processing apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that said numerical data processing apparatus further comprises a discrimination unit for discriminating a sort of the storage media loaded on said loading apertures, and said transfer control unit identifies the transfer source or said transfer destination in accordance with the sort discriminated by said discrimination unit.
According to the numerical data processing apparatus having those preferred structure, for example, an ID number and the like are utilized to identify a storage medium of a customer and a storage of a store, and these storage media are used as the transfer source and the transfer destination in accordance with a result of identification. Thus, it is possible to perform a normal data transfer even if the storage media are loaded onto any loading aperture.